Healing Rain Is Falling Down. Let It Fall!

20 The Countdown Magazine has a powerful "Healing Rain" video on their Artist Exclusives page. (scroll almost to the bottom of the page) The video shows Michael W. Smith walking through a town inviting hurting and hopeless people to come experience God’s healing rain. What strikes me most about the video is that, while a few people join him in the rain, there are a large number of people that just stand back and watch. I think the reason this strikes me is that more often than not I find myself standing back with the crowd instead of stepping out and accepting God’s healing. "After all", I tell myself, "I don’t really need God’s healing like those people do. I’m not homeless or a drug addict or an alcoholic. I’m OK just the way I am…"

The truth of the matter is that, while I may be fooling others and sometimes even myself, I am not fooling God. He sees my pain and my fear and He sees those things I run to for comfort instead of running to Him and He waits patiently, longing for the day that I will lay down my fear and accept His healing.

The problem is that we’ve all been rejected or used or laughed at by people we went to for help or who we wanted to impress or be friends with but who themselves were wounded and acting out of their own pain. So we’ve learned to believe the lie that says we can’t really trust anyone but ourselves. Then we let our pain and our fear keep us from true intimacy with each other and from true intimacy with God.

On the one hand we cry out to God for healing from our pain but on the other hand we’re afraid of letting down the walls that keep God and everyone else at a "safe distance" and too far away to touch our pain and heal our hurts and fears.

I think Michael W. Smith understands that conflict in this song. That’s why the song talks about not being afraid "to be washed in Heaven’s rain". We all need to come to that point where true intimacy with God and with each other is more important to us than maintaining our own defenses.

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe when the children are in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver talking about Aslan. Lucy asks if Aslan, being a lion, is safe and Mr. Beaver responds: “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Trust in God’s goodness today, He will not reject you. Open yourself up to Him and let him heal your spirit, soul and body. He isn’t safe but he is good!

Father, give me courage today to come to you with my pain, lay down my defenses and accept your healing rain, knowing that you are good and desire my healing.

Lyrics:

Healing rain is coming down
It’s coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It’s bringing mercy, it won’t be long

Healing rain is coming down
It’s coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus’ name

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I’m not afraid
To be washed in Heaven’s rain

Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I’m not afraid
To be washed in Heaven’s rain
To be washed in Heaven’s rain

Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I’m not afraid
I’m not afraid
(repeat)

 

© 2004 Curious? Music UK